On Tuesday evening, July 28, 2009, I sent a couple of emails about the new article on my blog, Kingdom Speaking (http://kingdomspeaking.blogspot.com/ ). I then shut down my computer and went to the kitchen to get some apple juice and peanut butter on crackers. It was near 11:00 PM.
While sitting at the kitchen table, I had a funny feeling in my chest. It wasn’t a sharp pain. It was more like discomfort. As it got stronger I worried that it might be a heart attack. So, I took 8 small aspirin (8 small 81 mg aspirin is equivalent to 2 regular aspirin). I went into the bedroom preparing to go to bed hoping it wasn’t a heart attack. I thought if I could belch I might feel better. The pain got stronger. Dora asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. I said, “I’m not sure.”
She got up and began to dress to take me to the hospital. I began to sweat and went to get the blood pressure machine. When Dora saw me sweating and felt that I was cold, she dialed 9-1-1 for an ambulance. She took my blood pressure and it was very low. I sat in a chair near the entrance door waiting for the Emergency Medical Technicians.
When they arrived they gave me aspirin to chew. They took my blood pressure and did an electrocardiogram. That’s when one of them said, “You are having a heart attack right now.” The calmness in his voice assured me that they would get me to the hospital in good time. And they did. They put an oxygen mask over my face and wheeled me to the ambulance. We headed for Einstein Hospital.
I never lost consciousness and was fully aware of the ride to Einstein Hospital (Jack D. Weiler Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine). The pain did increase on that ride. I asked Jesus to send angels ahead to get the people in the emergency room ready for my arrival and He did. When we came into the emergency room, people began working on me immediately. The doctor began examining me and gave orders to the nurses and technicians. The pain had been intensifying since we left home. My son, Raymond, was already at the hospital. His friends, Quenton and Wendy had just delivered twin girls by emergency caesarean section. Ironically, my cousin, Maryann had also been rushed to the same emergency room due to heart palpitations.
I recall yelling for them to do something about the pain. As a joke I yelled, “Give me whatever they gave Michael Jackson.” Michael Jackson had died a month earlier. Someone next to me had a needle in his hand about to jab me with it. I asked him if it was morphine. Now things really go foggy. Another doctor began telling me he would take me someplace to do something called catherization. I think I signed some type of consent form. I remember someone began to shave my pubic hair and I had to sign another piece of paper. The next thing I remember was being wheeled into a room and transferred to a bed.
It seems it was important that I did not move my right leg. “Don’t move your leg,” “Don’t cross your legs,” the nurse yelled at me. At 6:30 AM Wednesday morning, two doctors came to take something out of my body that had to do with implanting stents into my arteries. They had gone into my artery through my groin. Now, they had to remove something. I don’t know what it was.
Once that was done the gentlest and most caring people I ever met in my life took over … the nurses and nursing assistants. Registered Nurses, Jackie, Anne Marie, Bridget and one other whose name I forgot, from Wednesday through Friday took care of me. They explained the reason for each medication I was taking.
When I think back to when this all started I recall how professional and caring the two EMT's were. One of them even came back after the stents were put in to check on me. Everyone I met along the way not only did her or his job but cared about what they were doing. When I was discharged, Bridget made sure I got into Dora’s car safely.
That was a little over a year ago. Today, I carry four aspirin with me at all times ... two for me and two for you. You've had experiences too. Would you share your story? Send it to me at kingdomspeaking@gmail.com. Thank you for your attention and God bless you. <>
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